Number of top seeds, local fan bases and venue capacity all impact ticket prices & demand

AUSTIN, Texas (March 20, 2013) TicketCity, a source for tickets to more than 75,000 sports, concerts, and theatre events around the world, today revealed the hottest NCAA tournament regions based on ticket price and demand leading up to the 2nd & 3rd round games. Philadelphia, Auburn Hills, Lexington and Kansas City are the regions with the highest ticket demand, driven largely by highly active local fan bases as well as top seeds included in those match ups. In comparison, regions such as Austin and Salt Lake City have seen ticket prices continue to drop post-selection Sunday, Austin with no local teams and Salt Lake potentially impacted by Gonzaga’s smaller fan base.

It’s easy to see why Philadelphia has the highest ticket demand for all 8 regions. The city will host both Duke and Georgetown, two east coast teams with an impressive NCAA tournament history. With fan bases who will travel well to Philadelphia, Duke’s potential to head to the Final Four this year will means Blue Devils fans are especially activated. Despite strong demand for this region, tickets to the 2nd and 3rd round games are still fairly accessible to fans. The average ticket price for all three sessions on the secondary market is $356; however TicketCity currently offers tickets starting at $210.

Other top regions for demand include Auburn Hills, Lexington and Kansas City, all which have at least one local basketball powerhouse represented, which makes these games highly accessible to local fans. Local rivalries may also play a role in driving sales for TBD matchups in the third round, with Michigan and Michigan State at Auburn Hills and Kansas and Kansas State in Kansas City.

Relatively higher venue capacity for Auburn Hills and Lexington have kept ticket prices at these venues some of the lowest for 2nd & 3rd round games despite demand, with average ticket price for all three sessions at $300 for both regions, available starting at $182 and $151 receptively.

“This year the tournament tried to keep more top-seeded teams closer to home, and we’re seeing a few regions that this has been effective for,“ said Zach Anderson, COO at TicketCity. “But overall, we’ve seen less than anticipated demand across the board. This may be a result of the smaller number of marquee stars or teams in college basketball right now. However this also means that college basketball is more accessible to fans right now than ever, so it’s a great opportunity to participate in one of the most exciting championship events in college sports. Additionally, sessions include more than one game, so fans are able to get some serious game time for their dollar.”

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